Business

Nonprofit offering mobile showers to the homeless is now way more than that

It started with a simple idea: that dignity and hygiene are inextricably linked. Doniece Sandoval was convinced homeless people deserve both, so ideas turned to action.

With the help of Google, an early investor that has donated $800,000 to date, Sandoval converted a defunct San Francisco city bus two years ago into a mobile shower unit for the homeless. She then turned the idea into a nonprofit, Lava Mae. Now, out of 5,000 entrants, she's the first recipient of the newly-formed KIND Foundation's $500,000 grand prize, for "transforming her community through kindness."

Lava Mae has upgraded from its first city bus — it now has commercial shower trailers that still offer what the people it serves said they wanted most: privacy and safety. While the original concept had six shower stalls to account for quantity, Lava Mae buses have two full, private bathrooms, one of which is large enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

The organization, which is currently expanding to Los Angeles, hasn't stopped at showers alone — its latest effort is the "pop-up care village," a pilot program featured in the video above in partnership with Project Homeless Connect and a small army of volunteers.

At the most recent pop-up in San Francisco on Nov. 29, in addition to the mobile shower bus, people experiencing homelessness could sign up for a free haircut with volunteers from Fellow Barber, and shop at a free "street store," where every guest could take up to 10 donated items.

Visitors could also have their teeth checked by dental hygienists, connect with housing and employment services, and have lunch.

Terry Quinn, who has been housed for three months after a year and a half on the streets, gets a free haircut from Princess of Fellow Barber.

Image: Mashable, Kate Sommers-Dawes

Sandoval said an average of 300 people visit the village in the four-hour period it's open, near San Francisco's main public library. Based on exit interviews, she and her team will evaluate how well the services are working, and how often and on what scale to extend the villages into 2017.

"We'll be able to help cities everywhere deliver hygiene and dignity for their homeless neighbors."

While the recipients of KIND's prizes (the foundation gave out a total of $1.1 million this month) can use the funds for any purpose, Sandoval said she's dedicating the money to helping other communities reproduce her organization's work.

"Since Lava Mae began, we've received more than 1,200 requests to replicate our services from across the U.S. and around the world," she said in a press release. "Now, with the KIND Foundation's support, we'll be able to help cities everywhere deliver hygiene and dignity for their homeless neighbors."

In an interview with Mashable, Sandoval said volunteers coming together to provide services to the city's residents who need it give her "the most hope."

"I think people care a lot," she said. "They just haven't always known how to help."

BONUS: This coat doubles as a sleeping bag to keep the homeless warm in the winter

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